Reviews
Keepin it casual, Greensky Bluegrass rocked a two set Spring Tour Wednesday evening in Urbana IL. Home of the fighting Illini, there was a full-on hug war happening. From the floor to the balcony the bee boppin Greensky opened with Feeling Alright and began a birthday show toast-worthy fo sho. Take Cover has gotten so dang funky. There were birthday shots and shouts-out for Guido as Anders Beck hosted his own witty Casual Wednesday banter with the crowd...
Last Sunday, March 12, the Chicago-based progressive aggressive improvisational six piece known as Umphrey’s McGee crammed themselves, their full arsenal of gear and a fraction of their typical lighting array onto The Grate Room stage at Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, CA.
March in Boulder, Colorado is not only a celebration of the most beautiful season, but this March is a special one because it is the 25th Anniversary of a legendary venue, the Fox Theatre. The performances thus far have been exceptional to say the least. I have heard from the founders, the bartenders, and fans alike, and the run of shows this month have been legendary. Rose Hill Drive is celebrating a comeback of sorts at this venue as well.
Believe is the latest album by Colorado disco-grass pioneers, The String Cheese Incident. The band’s tenth album overall, it is only their third in 12 years and with a release date of April 14, it arrives almost exactly three years removed from their previous album, 2014’s A Song In My Head.
Minneapolis-based PHO is comprised of Arthur “LA” Buckner (drummer), Spencer Christensen (guitarist), Joe Paris (guitar), Luke Ibach (bass), Aaron Levin (tenor sax/flute), Lukas Skrove (trumpet/flugel horn) and Patrick Horigan (keyboardist). Don’t let the fact that these cats look young-enough-to-get-carded fool you; they are a bonafide funk machine plus.
Louisiana natives Sweet Crude brought their up-beat, drum-heavy pop sound to a quiet corner of Soho on Monday night. The band took the stage at the Ludlow House, a members-only club that the lead singer of the band, Sam Croft, referred to as “a weird freaky place with no signage” – calling out its nondescript exterior and the enticing mystery of the venue.
It’s a winter night in Manhattan and the three members of Edison are unloading their gear in the exclusive underground stage of the infamous Rockwood Music Hall. There’s an electric excitement buzzing between them - the kind that only comes when you’re busy doing what you love. After this show they’ll load their gear back into their van, which doubles as their home, and drive through the night to be on a radio show in the morning, hundreds of miles away. It’s all part of the magic.
In a three-set, five hour night of music at the Warfield Theatre on February 25 that began with an unusual David Nelson Band performance, the current, proficient Melvin Seals and JGB turned in an fine set before giving way to special band roster, also led by monster organist Seals, but with the addition of Stu Allen on lead guitar, Oteil Burbridge on bass and 1980s-‘90s-era JGB v
The original rhythm section of the seminal Swamp Rock pioneer band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, brought to life an arsenal of classic rock and blues tunes, Thursday night, February 23 at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez. The packed Samala Showroom burst into a cacophony of light, sound, and multimedia, right on time at 8 pm. It was unusual for the show to begin on schedule, but proved to be a great surprise to the adulate fans, allowing for a full two set of 19 very classic American tunes.
How many lead guitarists does it take for one to sufficiently experience Jimi Hendrix? Well, according to the Experience Hendrix Tour that rolled through the Mondavi Center in Davis, California, on Feb. 22, the correct answer is seven. Now gone for 46 years, the music and legend of Jimi Hendrix, still recognized as among the top rock guitarists of all time, still survives and flourishes.
